UN Report: Highest Civilian Casualties in Ukraine from Russian Missile and Drone Attacks in May in Over a Year

A report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine shows that at least 436 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in Russian attacks this spring, the most in the past year. Another 1,760 people were injured.

"May saw the highest monthly number of civilian casualties in almost a year, and the fighting this spring has taken a terrible toll on civilians, particularly in Kharkiv region and the city of Kharkiv," said the Chief Monitor, Danielle Bell.

According to her, continuous shelling has led to tragic loss of life, displacement of people and destruction of buildings and businesses.

It is noted that Russian troops launched the "largest campaign of attacks" on critical energy infrastructure in the spring, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of civilians and left millions of people across Ukraine without electricity.

According to Bell, the Russian shelling has affected water supply, mobile communications and internet access, as well as public transport.

"The full impact of the attacks on energy infrastructure will only become clear next winter, when Ukraine's reduced energy capacity will leave many people without access to heating and other services essential to their survival," she said.

The UN monitors also recorded the use of powerful bombs and missiles by the Russian army, as well as at least five cases of consecutive attacks on the same location after the arrival of emergency services.

The study covers the period from 1 March to 31 May and will be presented at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 9 July.

For its part, the Russian authorities reported cases of civilian deaths in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, the document says. However, The Washington Post's investigation of these cases suggests that many of the Russian multi-tonne cruise missiles used by the aggressor country to bomb positions in northern Ukraine do not cross the Russian border and fall on its own territory. At least 38 bombs fell between April 2023 and April 2024 in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine, the American publication reports. At least four bombs fell on the city of Belgorod itself, a regional centre with a population of about 400,000. Seven more were found in the surrounding area. Most of them, 11, fell in the border district of Hraivoron, where some could not be recovered due to "difficult operational conditions".